Red Panda
Red Pandas are adorable bamboo eaters native to Asia’s high forests. Though they share the name "panda" with the Giant Panda, these two species are unrelated. Taxonomy The Red Panda has given scientists taxonomic fits. It has been classified as a relative of the Giant Panda, and also of the raccoon, with which it shares a ringed tail. Currently, Red Pandas are considered members of their own unique family—the Ailuridae. There are two sub-supecies of red panda; A. f. fulgens and A. f. styani. Appearance Slightly larger than a domestic cat, it wears a coat of reddish-brown fur. Their big, bushy tails add an additional 18 inches. These pandas use their ringed tails as wraparound blankets in the chilly mountain heights. The can also see around eyes and on ears are noticable. The lower parts are covered with blackish fur. The shorter front legs give it a wadding gait. Like Giant Pandas, they have an extended wrist bone that functions almost like a thumb and greatly aids their grip. The length of the body including head may measure up to 25 inches. On the other hand, the tail length is only slightly shorter, i.e. it is 23 inches. The weight of the males and females is almost equal. The males may weigh up to 6.2 kg while, in the opposite gender, it may go up to 6 kg. Occurrence Red Pandas live in the rainy, forested mountains of Nepal and northern Myanmar (Burma), as well as in central China. These animals spend most of their lives in trees and even sleep aloft. When foraging, they are most active at night as well as in the gloaming hours of dusk and dawn. Fond of the moderate temperature of between 10 to 25 celcious, Red Pandas prefer to live at the altitude of 2,200 to 3,600 meters. The deciduous and coniferous forests with old tress and dense understories of bamboo serve as a favorite place to live for this animal. Life History Red Pandas live up to eight years in the wild on average. Diet Despite the fact that Red Pandas are grouped among the carnivorous animals, they are adapted to the omnivorous mode of nutrition. Red Pandas have a taste for bamboo but, unlike their larger relatives, they eat many other foods as well. Being excellent climbers, they usually forage in trees. Reproduction Red Pandas are shy and solitary except when mating. Females give birth in the spring and summer, typically to one to four young. Young Red Pandas remain in their nests for about 90 days, during which time their mother cares for them. The males take little or no interest in their offspring. Conservation Red Pandas are an at-risk species, victims of deforestation. Their natural space is shrinking as more and more forests are destroyed by logging and the spread of agriculture. In the wild, their number is less than 10,000, and decreasing. That is why the International Union for Conservation of Nature has listed them as endangered animals. Resources * Red Panda by National Geographic * What are Pandas by M. Arslan Category:Ailuridae Category:Ailurus Category:Ailurus fulgens Category:Pandas